Motor-vehicle.



W. A. LEE.

MOTOR VEHICLE.

' APPLICATION nLEDMAR.21-,19l4.

Pumltcdept. 28, 1915.

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` vv. A. LEE.

MOTOR VEHICLE.

APPLICATION FILIED MAR. ZI. I9I4.

lnfenfedSept. 28, `ISIIF).

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WALLACE n. een, or onstaan, cALIronNIA.

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Applica-'cion mean-arch a1,

To all 'whom t may concern.' Be it known that l, VVALLACv A, Lun, a] citizen of the United States, residlng at 90T Kirkham street, Qakland, in theI county of Alameda and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements 1 I1` Motor-Vehicles, of which the following is a specification. l The invention has relation to mechanically propelled vehicles whether designed for pleasure or for use as a truck for hauling loads, the purpose'beingthe provision of a vehicle having front and rear axles mounted to turn in a manner similar to the front axle of an ordinary wagon or truck, sa1d: axles beingI adapted to be turned to incline ino] posite directions to lenable the yvelilcle to make a turn'in a comparatively small space,` said vehicle being constructed to enable power being Vapplied to the four wheels 'whereby the propelling force is distributed, thereby enabling the vehicle to beeas1ly driven over rough and soft roads in.v eitherj direction. 1 J f. The invention consists in novel, means and connections whereby both the front andv vrear axles are simultaneously turned inopposite directions to enable the vehicle to be steered quickly when it is required to turn the same.

The inventionfurther consists of novel transmissibn for applying power` to the four. wheels for propelling the vehicle either for-`4 Ward or backward, saidtransmission including friction gearinghaving such relation as tc admit of the speed being varied andgrad,` ually changed according yto theV power or-v movement required.

A further purpose provision of means whereby thegvehicle may be driven forward or backwardfwithout reversing the engine or requiring the same to. be stopped, the transmission including a ratchet and pawl, the vlatter being double ended to admit of either end being thrown into operative position according as the`vehicle is to be: driven forward or backward.

The invention 'furthercontemplates aw single hand wheel'and shaft for starting the; engine or operating the steering mechanism, the connecting means betweensuchA shaft" and steering and starting mechanismsfinf. cluding a clutch, whereby .oneorv the other may be thrown into or out`v ofoperation with# hicle embodying the invention.

Specicaton of Letters Patent. atenje Sept. v28, 1915.

1914. senaiito. 526,358.

time.

,The iirventionalsol consists of the novel connecting means between'each ofthe four wheels and the power driven shaft, whereby the wheels may be positively driven for- 'out bringing both'into action at the same ward .or backward or the transmitting 'mechanism thrown 1nto neutral position,

thereby admitting of the engine running without imparting movement' to the wheels.

The invention consists ofthe novel fea` companying drawings, and subsequently claimed.

Referring to the drawings, forming a part V`of the specification, Figure 1 is a vertical central longitudinal section of a motor ve Fig. 2 1s a top planview of the running gear or chassis,

the ,bodying being removed.' Fig. 3 isa detail view showingmore clearly the connecting means between the hand operated shaft and the starting and steering shaft. Fig.

Aris a front view of theparts illustrated in Fig. .3. Fig. 5 is a side view of one of the Zdrive wheels, showing the mechanism associated therewith, the parts being on aflarger scale. `Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the line :i2-fm of Fig. 15.

Gorresponding and like parts are referred vto in the following description, and indi- 'Within the scope ofthe invention and it is of the invention is they.4

unimportant Whether the vehicle is constructed to be used for pleasure or as a truck solely for' transporting. loads.

rlhe numeral l designates front and rear gear and'body so as toturn about vertical *axes similar to the front axle of an ordinary wagon provided with a fifth wheel. The vehicle wheels are mounted upon the arms or spindles of the axles inthe usual way so axles, which are connected with the running i against one side of the spokes and an inter- `nally toothed wheel 13 is placed against the opposite side of the spokes, the parts 2l and 13 being bolted or otherwise secured to the spokes of the wheel. A brake band 14 is arranged to cooperate with the internally toothed wheel 13. A double ended pawl 12 is arranged to have either one of its ends thrown into engagement with the teeth of the wheel 13. according as the vehicle is to `be driven forwarder backward. A casting 11 is loose with reference to the axle 1 and \\'lieel':iiidlias the double ended .pawl 12 connected thereto. A worin wheel 5 is mounted upon a `hub portion of the casting 11 'and is secured to' such casting to turn therewith. rl`lie worin wheel 5 meshes with av worm 6 secured to a short shaft 7 arranged at a right angle tothe axle. A worm 8 secured to the shaft 7 is'in mesh with a worm 9 secured to a shaft 10 arranged parallel t with tlieaxleand mounted in bearings pro severa genti* from dust and the'lik. .Tliectlouble ended vidad 'o "hoiisipg 1J, wlti'chfineloses the ekintritsto pl'otcet the same pawl is acted upoi by means of springs 17 and is adapted to be actuated by suitable connecting means 1G, whereby the pawls of the four wheels are adapted to be simultaneously moved. Each of the shafts 10 is provided with a friction wheel 20, which is adapted to engage a friction wheel 3-1 on a longitudinal shaft 33, which is connected with a motor 39. of any type. The shaft 33.

comprises several sections or members which are coupled b v means ofiiniversul joints 3l whereby provision is had foi' relative move ment of the axles due to th'e movement of the vehicle springs. A coupling 35 connects the sections of the drive shaft and the latter Vis provided with a clutch 36 of any construction to admit of throwing the parts into gear. It is to be understood that the friction gears Il() and 31 may be thrown into or ont ot' engagement or be relatively moved to attain the required speed.

vehicle body and is connected by means ofv gearing 39 with the shaft 38. Gearing 41 connects the shaft Q0 with a shaft 19, which corresponds to'the ordinary steering post, which is provided atits upper end with a hand wheel Q1. A shaft 43 is located upon the opposite side of the machine and is adapted to make connection with the engine 32 and is geared at its front end by suitable connections 40 with the shaft Q0. A clutch 42 is located in the length of the shaft 20. This enables the steering post or shaft .19 to be thrown into or out of engagement with the shaft 43 or 38. When the engine is to be vstarted the shaft 38 is thrown out of gear and the shaft 43 in gear. After the engine has been started the shaft 43 is thrown out of gear and the shaft 3S ingear so that iipon operating the hand wliecl'21 the vehicle may be started in the usual manner.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the advantages of thev construction and of the method of operation will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, and while I have described the principle of operation of the invention, together with the device which I now consider to be the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the device shown is merely illustrative, and that such changes may be made when desired as are within the scope of the in- 'vention as claimed.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new, is:

1. In a vehicle of the character specified, the combination of front land rear axles vmounted to turn about vertical axes, a motor, a longitudinal shaft having gear conand connecting means between the shaft and each longitudinal sha-ft.

3. In a motor vehicle the combination of the motor, steering mechanism, a steering post, a shaft, connecting means between the steering post and shaft, connecting-means.

between the shaft and the motor and steering mechanism to admit of operation of .either by means of the steering post, and a `clutch on the shaft for throwing the steering post into or out of operative connection with 'the engine starting mechanism or the steering mechanism.

4. In a motor vehicle, the combination of the motor, steering mechanism, a` steering post, a shaft disposed directly below and in adjacent rela-tion to the steering post, connecting means between the steering post and shaft, connecting means between'the shaft and the motor and steering mechanism to admit of operation of either by means of thil steering post, and a clutch arranged in the In testimony whereof I aix my signature length of the shaft and at points between the in presence of two witnesses.

points of connection of theshaft with the WALI' ACE A LEE motor and steering mechanism, for throw- J ing the steering post into or out me operative Witnesses:

connection with the engine starting mecha- L. M. GRIESEMER,

nism. H. S. CRAIG.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, 'by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

v Washington, D. U. 

